Northeastern municipal group commits to new marketing strategy for the area

Municipal leaders from northeastern Ontario met this week in Timmins to discuss a collective strategy for marketing the region.

Members of the North Eastern Ontario Municipal Association (NEOMA) said the strategy would focus on their area and give it its own unique brand.

“Often when we think about northern Ontario, Timmins and the rest of northeastern Ontario aren’t necessarily the places that people are thinking of when they think of northern Ontario," said Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau.

“To me it’s really exciting that we get to determine what the image will be for our region and to really promote ourselves and spread that out. It’s all just really exciting.”

Mayors, councillors and administrators from towns located along the Highway 11 corridor were in attendance, along with elders and some university students. All were asked how they would like to see the area promoted.

“Now with opportunities coming through with the industry and moving a lot of people here and the need to find houses for people who are young (and) youth in southern Ontario who are just resolved to the fact that they’ll never own a home, that’s going to drive a lot of people here," said Peter Politis, mayor of Cochrane and president of NEOMA.

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“We as an association are starting to recognize (that) we’ve got to step up our game on the promotion side of it and start helping the industry attract those workers.”

Everyone agreed to create a plan and proposals, which will be discussed at the next meeting in September.